In U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,489 a vacuum tube holder has attached thereto a protective needle housing which is pivotable to cover an exposed needle of a double-ended needle assembly threaded to the vacuum tube holder. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,285, a needle protection housing is mounted to the neck of the vacuum tube holder by means of a collar, so that the housing is rotatable with respect to the neck of the vacuum tube holder. For both of the devices disclosed in the '489 and '285 patents, prior to use and shipping, the double-ended needle is capped at both ends.
Conventionally, a double-ended needle is shipped in a container that covers both ends of the needle. The container is taped with a piece of paper, or other sealing material, to provide evidence that it has not been tampered with prior to use. There has not been any tampering if there is no tear on the paper seal when a phlebotomist takes the double-ended needle out of the container and threads it to the vacuum tube holder or Vacutainer holder. Thus, to use the devices disclosed in the '489 and '285 patents, a user has to first remove the double-ended needle from its container and then thread the double-ended needle to the vacuum tube holder. Moreover, the user has to carry both the double-ended needle and the vacuum tube holder as separate units. The disclosures of the '489 and '285 patents are incorporated by reference herein.